2010 tips: Check PLEASE!
- 09/26/10 02:19 PM
Check your title early when you are purchasing a property. I recently represented a buyer. The property had a short term tenant and a few red flags, some basic research told me that the seller could potentially be upside down on their loan and also that the sellers has a recent foreclosure on another property. It was not listed as a short sale and the listing agent indicated it wasn't. In this area, it is not unusually to have sellers bring funds to settlement. More importantly, my research showed that maybe there was someone else still on the title. In questioning … (9 comments)
2010 tips: Duty to Warn?
- 09/06/10 02:21 PM
Don't you think the listing agent should warn agents/buyers about mold in a property? I don't mean a smidgen of mildew, I mean the kind of mold that will give you a headache for the next day or two and makes you dizzy. I've been in homes with a wall of mold in the basement and homes that you can't see it but you are suffering for days afterwards. I really get annoyed that nobody warns you about this and think it is a potential law suit waiting to happen if someone gets seriously ill. I think that agents should … (11 comments)
2010 tips: Pool Peril...Pond Makeover
- 09/05/10 11:36 AM
In certain areas pool are HOT and in other areas NOT. I read an article recently (okay, I read it several years ago and uncovered it recently). You can turn your pool into a pond! An attractive and inviting feature in the landscape instead of a super maintenance and problem feature. The conversion is apparently not as complicated as one would think and much less expensive than removing the pool itself. The reasons buyers don't want pools: Liability Zoning and Other Requirements Maintenance and Expense Expectations to Host If you are in an area that pool are NOT....consider the pond makeover. … (5 comments)
2010 tips: I don't need an agent because I'm buying a new home from a builder
- 08/29/10 02:26 AM
Buyers think that the nice builders will give the extra money to them. The builders have marketing buiilt into their bugets and the agents are marketing expenses. The agents know the questions to ask and the items that aren't really included in their "price", competing projects, and also the fact that they will need not one home inspection, but several. Even if you are paying the agent yourself, that amount of money is not much compared to the price of the house.
Get real! Why would I want to have an agent act as a middleman when I can … (5 comments)
2010 tips: Do I Need Flood Insurance?
- 08/28/10 03:54 AM
Do I Need Flood Insurance? That is a question most people need to consider. Your home owner insurance does NOT cover flood insurance. Most consumers believe that they have coverage for their home, but this insurance is limited and people must read their policies. Check you policy and talk to your agent regularly, many of these issue may not be covered: Flood Earthquakes Vacant Homes (could be leaving house vacant for more than a week) - check your policy Environmental Issues (e.g., mold, radon) Business activities With hurricane season upon us...it might be a good time to rethink it. Even a … (3 comments)
Do you have ICE in your cell phone? A piece of good advice for anyone - not just real estate agents - is having a phone number in your cell phone under the contact name ICE (In Case of Emergency). I work with clients. They ride in my car. We tour homes together. We work together in serious contract negotiations. But, would they know who to call in case of an emergency, if I were not … (0 comments)
2010 tips: The Right Time....is it NOW?
- 08/26/10 02:32 AM
Waiting for the right time to....buy a house? There is no "right time" that is the universal truth. In a rising market, it is always seems like the right time, but this can be an expensive game of musical chairs, if you buy a house just to get into it. There is always a chance to get stuck in a house you don't love, a neighborhood you don't want, a commute that you hate or as many people find a home they can't realistically afford. The timing is really up to the individual. But, there are so many decisions involved. Think … (2 comments)
Trust is a wonderful quality. It is very satisfying to have enough faith and confidence in a person or a company to take them at their word. And most of the time, everyone involved in a verbal commitment really does mean to keep their word and to stick to it. The problem is more one of fading memories. As time goes on there is a good likelihood that one or both parties committed to a verbal agreement simply forget the details of the mutual pact. The act of insisting on … (1 comments)
2010 tips: We got a visit from the Queen this week!!
- 08/22/10 01:24 AM
Bees are so critical to the environment. If you don't want them in your yard, please call a company that will professionally relocate the hive.
We got a visit from the Queen this week!! Earlier this week, the Queen visited my home. To be more precise, she visited a branch under my Birch tree in the front yard...............Queen Bee, that is. I was watering my lawn yesterday and noticed a HUGE hive under a lower branch within reaching distance on my Birch tree. I googled a Bee removal service, and they came down this morning to remove the hive. … (0 comments)
2010 tips: I am Bored!
- 08/22/10 01:01 AM
This is something every parent dreads to hear. I am bored. You can think of a million things that shouldn't make life a bore and yet you can easily list another million things to do. Then you think quietly and secretly....wouldn't it be great to be bored? The difference is that through your life experience you have a little list of a zillion things you want to, should do, would do if you had more time. These little things eat away at you slowly, you feel guilty, and anytime you shift your focus on them - they come down on you … (6 comments)
2010 tips: Should YOU Sue Your Client?
- 08/19/10 03:43 AM
This really is a trick...because you can't sue your clients relating to your real estate contracts such as: buyer broker agreement, listing agreement, purchase and sale agreement...why is that you ask? Well, you don't have a contract with the Client. YOUR BROKER HAS THE CONTRACT WITH YOUR CLIENT.
When choosing a real estate broker to affiliate with, this is one of the items that you want to consider. Will this broker defend my position, commission, and reputation? Large or small broker is irrelevant. Just knowing your brokers position will help you make good decisions. You will know when … (6 comments)
2010 tips: Show and Tell
- 08/17/10 02:50 AM
SHOW AND TELL I know there are mixed reviews about showing services. Some people hate them...while others, like me, love them. Here are the reasons to embrace a showing service: It helps our sellers not have to deal with aggressive agents It clearly gives agents consistent instructions It verbally tells the agents the show instructions - because some agents can't bother to read the listing They keep a list of everyone who has shown the house with their phone number and email handy They can keep alarm instructions and help disarm if an agent set it off They ask the … (2 comments)
2010 tips: Trampo-Floor!
- 08/15/10 03:32 AM
Jay hits the nail on the head...YOU NEED A HOME INSPECTION...in the case of new construction you need an additional one pre-drywall too!
DATELINE: Northern Virginia – the purchaser of a new home was frantic to find a home inspector to try to evaluate why a floor in his home under construction moves up and down. The dining room floor bounces. And not a little bit! Looking on the Internet, this purchaser was able to find a local home inspector. His popular website offered just the relief this purchaser needed. He determined to get in touch with the website’s … (0 comments)
How to Beat a Broker Bully. An agent can't get their deal moved through, we don't have sufficient information from the buyer, so they ask their broker to call me. Broker: I don't understand why YOU are holding up this deal. ME: There are issues, I've explained it to the agent, and until we can get more information from the buyer - yes, the deal is stalled. The seller simply wants to make sure they are going to get to settlement. (The broker, then proceeds to yell at me. Very unprofessional.) BROKER: I'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR … (81 comments)
2010 tips: Just A Little More
- 08/02/10 01:33 AM
The Successful Listing...THINK A Little MoreWhen you want that extra edge in a listing think "a little more":1. Ask for a little more A Better Price Cleaner House Staging Repairs New Paint & Carpet 2. Give a little more Explain the whole the process Provide the latest data and facts Kindness and Time 3. Do a little more Take the time to communicate Make sure you do everything you can Do everything you promise Proof read your marketing materials (again) 4. Listen a little more Ask open ended questions Uncover their motivation Understand their priorities Taking action brings results. The … (2 comments)
This is my favorite recent short sale again. The one where if there are things done incorrectly outside, there are likely to be things done incorrectly inside! Well, the day does follow the night... Whenever I enter a house and see ceramic tile that has been installed unprofessionally*, one place I am sure to look is under the dishwasher. Why? Because that is a make or break issue. Why? For the reason you see here. This ceramic tile was put up to the edge of, but not … (5 comments)
2010 tips: Clear That Clutter!
- 07/29/10 12:24 AM
Clear That Clutter! This is a really easy and much less painful way to de-clutter. This is all about changing your focus so that you can focus on what you do want rather than what you don't want. Why do we accumulate clutter? because we like things have emotional attachment to things think that we may need these things again get busy and don't have time to sort through things we like to collect things we are saving these things for someone else There is is theme here and it is things and how you think about them. Change how … (8 comments)
2010 tips: One Simple Change...Can Make All the Difference...
- 07/27/10 03:16 AM
One Simple Change... Can Make All the Difference... Just Change ONE Word in Your Vocabulary. Think about all the words you hate to hear. Think about one that makes you cringe EVERY SINGLE TIME. Think about the one word that makes you want to interrupt someone before they are finished. Think about the word that makes your clients cringe every time you say it. It is one of the most powerful words in producing a defensive reaction. It generally never produces the desired result. It is the one word that will make someone shut down and not listen to the rest … (8 comments)
2010 tips: Taking off my Realtor Hat
- 07/26/10 03:47 AM
I think Lorraine is doing just the right thing for her clients. Helping them understand they don't need a bigger home, that they really need better management of their finances.
Maybe it's my age or maybe it's just the way I do business, but sometimes I just take off my Realtor hat and put on my Mom hat. Recently I was at the home of a young family that wanted to know if they could sell their home in Colorado Springs to move up. Yes, two kids later the home is a might bit tighter than when you … (1 comments)
Should you wait until the market rebounds to sell your home? And yet, some potential sellers wonder if they’re better off waiting to sell until the market recovers. It really depends upon your ultimate goals of course, but if you’re at a stage where you need a larger home, then read on. This week at our local marketing meeting we had a Mid Year Market Review. One of the broker panelists talked about this being one of the best move-up markets EVER! Let’s talk more about … (0 comments)
Check your title early when you are purchasing a property. 
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